Too many stick with their broadband provider through thick and thin, overpaying by £100s a year. If that's you, it's likely you can do the double whammy of boosting your package while massively slicing your bills.

Check your broadband and line rental cost now  people on standard deals typically pay BT £468/yr, TalkTalk £275/yr, Sky £329/yr and Virgin £387/yr. The deals below can bring it down to £287 over 12 months plus you can get a £75 Mastercard.

To benchmark, those on standard pricing typically pay BT £39/mth and Virgin £40/mth.

What is broadband?

These days broadband is the standard way of connecting to the internet. Originally people used to dial up over their phone connection. Broadband uses a broader range of frequencies and allows more information to be carried than old dial-up connections.

There are two main types of broadband:

Home broadband: This is hard-wired into your house. It's either carried through your phone line (known as ADSL) or by cable. This is what this guide focuses on.

Mobile broadband: This isn't generally as fast or reliable, but as it's via the mobile networks, it's far more flexible. If you're looking for that, see our Mobile Broadband guide, which includes how to find free hotspots.

With home broadband, it's important to understand that while the information is carried via your phone line, you can still use the phone while you're online  and the broadband connection is always on. Read more on how home broadband works.

ADSL is an abbreviation of asymmetric digital subscriber line  which just means broadband through a phone line. A splitter, or filter lets you use the line for broadband and telephone calls at the same time. Superfast broadband is supplied over optical fibres, as used for cable TV.

Internet broadband speed is measured in megabits per second (Mb)  that's the speed at which data is transferred over the line.

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Switching broadband can save £100s

Many people have a broadband provider they're comfortable with and stick with it for ease. But this becomes a licence for providers to print money, as older packages are more expensive and tend to allow lower downloads at slower speeds.

Assuming you already have home broadband (if not, read on to choose), it's crucial to work out what you're paying and the service you're getting. However...

Never just look at the broadband cost. Always look at the upfront costs too. They can be high, so cheap broadband could be offset by these charges.

Here are some typical costs the big networks are charging for long-standing deals. By contrast, using the best deals in this guide, you can often get broadband and home phone for around £17 a month.

Typical standard broadband and line rental costs

Provider

Standard monthly broadband cost

Standard monthly line rental cost

Cost per year for both

BT

£38.99

Included

£468

Sky

£27.40

Included

£329

TalkTalk

£22.95

Included

£275 (18 month contract)

Virgin (fibre)

£32.25

Included

£387

Switching broadband used to be a little tricky, but new rules introduced by Ofcom in June 2015 have simplified the process for many. See the Ofcom implementing easier telecoms switching MSE news story for more details  we explain how it works in the questions below.

Quick questions

Can I ever leave my contract early without penalty?

If you're still within the minimum term of your contract, you usually have to pay 'early termination fees' if you want to leave so switching's rarely worth it. However, one exception to this is if your provider's hiked prices.

Last year Ofcom introduced rules that mean consumers with a landline, broadband or mobile (but not TV, sadly) contract taken out after 23 Jan 2014 should be allowed to leave penalty-free if their provider increases prices mid-contract, and didn't warn them about it before they signed up.

If this happens to you, you can use it to switch early without paying a penny  all you have to do is tell your provider you want to leave within 30 days of getting a notification letter.

How long does it take to switch provider?

Switching broadband provider is simple. Companies used to make it difficult, but it's become easier since the regulator, Ofcom, came down hard on them.

Switching provider usually takes about 10 working days, though it varies. Don't worry if you fear Facebook withdrawal, you're only likely to be offline for a few hours. Of course, there are a few horror stories, but these days the switchover is usually quick.

What do I actually need to do to switch?

If you're leaving your contract early because your provider's hiked prices and you want to avoid early termination charges, make sure you tell it within 30 days of getting your notification letter.

For everyone else, the switching process depends on which provider you're with and joining.

Switching to and from companies on BT Openreach: Every major provider except Virgin (200+ in total, incl BT, Sky & TalkTalk) is on the BT Openreach network. If you're switching between them, when you sign up for a new deal it's the new supplier's job to notify your existing one and cancel the contract. You don't need to do anything else.

Moving to or from Virgin: Since Virgin Media runs its own network, the switching process is a little more complicated. You'll need to contact your existing supplier yourself to cancel and request a Migration Authority Code (MAC), which you may be asked for later. This is a standard process and you should get it without any hassle.

What if I have problems setting up my new broadband?

If you don't know your modem from your mobile, you may find yourself on the phone to technical support while setting up your broadband. Helplines are usually free if you're an existing customer, but always double-check first, especially if you're calling from a mobile.

Of course, you could also ask for help from fellow MoneySavers on our forum's Techie Board (if you've already managed to get online). Most companies also have free online chat systems for technical support  though obviously if you're struggling to get online, that's not much help.

How do I find out what customer service is like?

Since you'll likely be signing a 12-month or 18-month contract, it's crucial to check feedback before diving in. We include the results of our latest customer satisfaction poll in all our best buys, so you can see how each provider ranked with other MoneySavers.

Sites such as ThinkBroadband and ISP Review, as well as our forum's Broadband Board, have a wealth of customer feedback. Make sure you read a whole range though, as no matter how good overall, every provider has its share of disappointed customers.

What if the broadband isn't in my area?

Before signing up to a broadband deal, check if it's available in your area. In most cases, if it isn't available, it's usually because your local BT exchange hasn't been opened up to include rival firms (otherwise known as 'unbundled').

For some providers, this means they can't offer you broadband at all. Others will still offer you their broadband but at a far higher cost.

Six things you need to know to slash broadband costs

If you only read six things about broadband before you switch, read these.

Faster advertised speed doesn't mean faster broadband

Remember advertised speeds are just that  "advertised". A provider only needs a paltry 10% of customers to get a certain speed before it can list it.

While providers may tell you their service is "up to" 17Mb, many won't get near that speed. The actual speed you get depends on a number of factors:

How close your home is to the phone exchange.

The condition of the lines and wiring.

The number of people using the same broadband service in your area (the contention ratio).

What you're currently doing and programs running in the background, such as your browser streaming a movie clip.

Many things help to boost your speed for free without switching. Try using a shorter cable from socket to router, cheap household signal boosters and plugging in instead of using Wi-Fi for big downloads. There's a full checklist of tips and tricks in Broadband Speed Boosting.

Check your broadband speed – you have rights, if it's slow

Our 60-second guide on Broadband Speeds goes through the four steps to find out if your broadband's speed is fully up to scratch, and what you can do if it's not. Briefly...

The 'Actual Speed Test'. Take a free speed test online to find what speed you're actually getting – Broadbandchoice's Speed Tester* and Ookla's Speedtest.net are good options. Try at different times of the day to get a range.

The 'Line Speed Test'. The regulator Ofcom has a Telecoms Coverage Checker, which shows the maximum speeds capable down the line (not necessarily in your home) at any given postcode.

The 'Covet Thy Neighbour's Broadband Test'. uSwitch's StreetStats* will show the actual speeds those in the area are getting in their home, broken down by provider.

The 'Minimum Guaranteed Speed Test'.Most providers have joined a code of practice committing to providing a tailored speed estimate before sign-up. If you're getting "significantly below" this, you may be able to exit your contract penalty-free.

You should always call up and try to resolve things with your provider directly. If this doesn't work, go through its official complaints procedure – the free complaints handling tool Resolver can help you with your complaint.

Aim for unlimited data or it'll cost you

Our data use has rocketed. Catch-up TV and movie streaming hoover it up, and since some packages have download limits, this can be costly. If you just use the net for light browsing, emails and the odd YouTube video, you'll probably be fine with a limited 10GB package.

Yet web watchers, beware. Watching an episode of Game of Thrones in HD's roughly 1GB, equivalent to looking at thousands of web pages. If you've got a 10GB limit, it isn't long before it's all used up and you're paying extra charges. With BT you pay £1.50/GB when you go over the limit.

So check your bill now for penalty charges. If your download limit isn't enough, switch to the super-cheap versions below. These days the vast majority of the cheapest deals are unlimited anyway.

Do you need fibre-optic?

More of us are using more data online and because of this we need more speed. For simple web browsing and email, common 16Mb connections will do the job. But if you use it for lots of movie downloads, streaming videos, online gaming, or if everyone at home wants to connect at once, you will need superfast.

Fibre broadband is still being rolled out across the UK. As a general rule, most big cities and towns have access to superfast broadband from a few different providers. Other areas (especially rural districts) may not have access to fibre broadband at all.

To see if you can get superfast, see superfast best buys below. Alternatively, enter your postcode on Broadbandchoices* and click the fibre broadband tab (if there's no tab, it means you can't get it).

Should you get a broadband and line rental bundle?

Many cheap broadband deals require you to take costly line rental. In the past providers only advertised the sexy broadband price in the headline but from 31 October 2016 the ASA ruled that greater prominence for full monthly costs would be necessary or providers would be in breach of advertising rules. The deal to pick depends on which category you fall into:

Only got landline for broadband? Unless you've got Virgin cable, you need a landline for broadband at home. Our poll of 25,000+ people showed 73% of under-65s don't have a landline or rarely use it.

Millions feel forced to keep it just for broadband. If so, cut the cost and just go for a cheap bundle. Alternatively, you don't need line rental for Virgin superfast  see Cheapest broadband without a landline below.

Still use your landline to make calls? If this is you, you'll need to factor in call costs when choosing line rental.

But you can make massive savings on call costs to landlines, mobiles and overseas without changing phone line by using specialist access numbers. See Cheap Home Phones for a full how-to and best buys.

Check if you're under contract and haggle your bill down or your speed or package up

If you signed up to broadband in the last 18 months, or longer in rare cases, first check if you're still in your contract period. If so, double-check that leaving doesn't breach your contract before switching. Exit penalties may kibosh savings. If you're planning to move home soon, check if your new contract's portable, or consider a no-contract deal.

Before you ditch your current provider, remember broadband's a mature market and companies are frantic to keep hold of customers, so...

Just call up, threaten to leave and your existing company will often offer kick-butt discounts.

Say you want to move to a new provider and it'll automatically lead to a 'why are you leaving?' chat. It should put you through to what we call 'disconnections' but they call 'customer retentions'  these operators have serious discount-giving power.

If you're still in contract and it isn't worth leaving, check what speed you're actually getting and compare it to the advertised speed you're paying for. See our Boost Broadband Speed two minute check. If you're getting less than advertised ring your provider and ask for a better package, such as fibre, a discount or another concession.

We polled 4,000 MoneySavers to see where hagglers had most success. Companies where hagglers revealed over 76% success rates included TalkTalk, Sky and Virgin. See full results.

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Best buy broadband deals

Below are our top picks. These are mainly price-focused, and these deals are only for those that live in the providers' network areas (typically about 90% of the population). If your local BT exchange hasn't been opened up to rival firms ("unbundled"), you'll pay more.

Best buys Unlimited broadband & line rental

Broadband usually requires a landline, and rather than getting your broadband and line rental from different companies, at the moment it's possible to get them as a 'bundle' for £287 over 12 months plus you can get a £75 Mastercard. All of the cheapest deals listed below also offer unlimited broadband, so you don't have to worry about going over your download limit.

It's also worth checking cashback sites as sometimes you can get more cashback on top of the below offers. Check deals are the same and be aware that if the site doesn't track properly you may miss out on the cashback.

Until Mon 12 Dec, BT broadband newbies (anyone who doesn't have it now) can get a discounted 1yr contract for line rent & up-to-17Mb speed unlimited broadband via this uSwitch deal link*. It's the second offer on the page.

Here's how you get it:

Choose to pay line rent upfront if you can afford to. It's cheapest if you pay the £205.08 year's line rent upfront (equiv £17.09/mth), you choose which option during the application. Unlimited broadband is then £6/mth over the 12 month contract, £277.08 in total. If you stay after the contract ends the broadband and line rent jumps to £38.99/mth.

You pay £9.99 upfront. This covers the 'free' BT Hub router delivery. You also get 100GB of free online storage.

To get the £75 Mastercard you need to claim AFTER installation. The key to the deal is you get a £75 prepaid Mastercard (which you can spend anywhere that takes Mastercard). BT won't remind you so diarise to use this prepaid Mastercard claim form. It can take up to 45 days to arrive from claiming.

The total cost including broadband, line rental and router (before calls) is £309.87 for the year, equivalent to £25.82/mth. If you factor in the £75 Mastercard its £234.87 for the year, equivalent to £19.57/mth.

If you opt to pay for line rental upfront and include the cost of broadband and the router delivery it's £287.07 over 12 months, equivalent to £23.92/mth or £17.67/mth if you'd spend the £75 Mastercard.

- What about calls? Weekend calls to UK landlines are included. If you want extra calls, add-ons start from £3.50/month. Full info on call charges below.

- No line/switching from cable? Installation's £30.

- Want BT Sport? If you opt in watching online and on the app is free for 3mths, it's then from £5/mth. It's free if you choose to get BT TV too.

Full BT tips, call charges and customer service ratings

What counts as a new customer? You won't be eligible if you've already got broadband with BT. You can get the deal if you have a BT home phone, or if you've previously had BT broadband but are now with another provider.

How do I know I need a new line? If you already have a BT line (most other broadband providers use its network) then you won't need a new one. If you don't have a line, or you're switching from cable, you'll need to have one installed, it's £30 with this deal.

If you do already have a BT line but want a second one, you'll pay £130 for installation.

How do I claim the Mastercard? To get the Mastercard you must fill in this online form, make sure you do this once your broadband service has been installed as you can't do it before that. You'll need:

Your BT order number, which begins with VOL012 or AJM (it'll be in your confirmation email).

The postcode where your broadband has been installed.

An email address to confirm your claim.

Once you've submitted your claim form your Mastercard will be sent to the address your broadband was installed at within 45 days. You must claim the Mastercard within six months of installation and activate it within three months of receiving the activation code.

If after 45 days of your broadband going live you haven't received your Mastercard, please contact BT via this online form.

Anything to watch out for? When you pay upfront, there's always a risk you could lose cash if the provider goes bust. The risk's bigger with smaller companies than it is with BT.

If you take this deal and leave during the contract you may be liable for early termination fees. If you're out of contract a £31 cease charge may apply if you move from BT to a provider who isn't part of the BT Wholesale network (ie, Virgin Media) or if you cancel broadband to your property altogether.

Does it include calls? The package includes unlimited weekend calls to UK landlines. If you want extra calls, add-ons start from £3.50/month.

What are BT's call charges? An additional 19p set-up fee applies to all chargeable calls.

New customers to EE broadband* (ie, those who don't currently have it installed) can get the firm's unlimited broadband on an 18-month contract. Follow the link, scroll down the page and it's the £19.50/mth, 18-month option.

Choose to pay line rent upfront if you can afford to. It's cheapest to pay £299 for the 18 months upfront (you must opt for this at sign-up), equivalent to £16.61/mth. Unlimited broadband then costs £1/mth for the entire 18-month contract, £317 in total. Note that the price will rise to £28.50/mth after 18 months, so diarise to check then if you can get cheaper elsewhere.

£7 to pay upfront. This covers delivery of the 'free' compulsory router.

Excluding call costs, as they depend on you as an individual, and the £30 new line installation fee for those on cable or who need a new line:

If you pay for broadband and line rental monthly and add in the router delivery cost it's £358 for the 18 months, equivalent to £19.89/mth.

The cost of the broadband, router delivery and line rental paid upfront is £324 over 18 months, equivalent to £18/mth.

What about calls? Weekend calls to landlines are included but if your call exceeds 60 mins you'll be charged, so hang up after an hour and ring back. Call charges are slightly more than with BT (see below). Also, if you're on an EE mobile pay monthly contract, enter your phone number at sign-up and 5GB/mth of data will be added to your mobile allowance.

Need a new line? If you don't have a line (or for those with a cable one or, in a few cases, Sky customers), it's £30  you'll be told before you commit.

Still in contract? Get up to £50 credit to cover switching costs. If you're in contract elsewhere and have to pay to switch, EE gives up to £50 credit to cover costs (excl call charges). You have to pay your old provider upfront, then claim through EE within 90 days of your new broadband going live. You'll need to upload your last bill from your old provider to the EE site  it'll credit your account once it's verified your request.

Full EE tips, call charges & customer service ratings

Who counts as a new customer? Anyone who doesn't currently have EE broadband.

Anything to watch out for? When you pay upfront, there's always a risk you could lose cash if the provider goes bust. The risk's bigger with smaller companies than with EE.

What are EE's call charges? An additional 17p set-up fee applies to all chargeable landline (01, 02 and 03 numbers) and mobile UK calls; 15p for all other chargeable calls.

What's customer service like?

EE home phone customer service poll results

Great

33%

OK

39%

Poor

28%

Oct 2016 | Voters: 233

EE broadband customer service poll results

Great

34%

OK

25%

Poor

41%

Oct 2016 | Voters: 211

Best buys Fibre-optic broadband

Superfast or fibre-optic broadband offers a much faster speed with greater consistency, though it's far pricier than normal broadband. If you're a heavy user  if you love to stream movies and music, or regularly download things  it can be a better option. It can also be a good idea if there are several people in the household likely to be online at the same time.

However, if you only use the web to browse and check emails or social media, or stream and download less frequently, you might be better off boosting your existing broadband speed instead. Our Broadband Speed Test guide shows you how.

Until Mon 12 Dec, BT broadband newbies (anyone who doesn't have it now) can get a one-year contract for line rent & up-to-52Mb speed unlimited broadband (up to 3x faster than standard) using this uSwitch link*.

It's available to 83% of the UK  you're told when applying. Here's how it works:

Pay £205.08 line rent upfront for a year. If you can afford to (equiv £17.09/mth), or it's the standard £18.99/mth. You choose which option during application.

Unlimited broadband's discounted to £11/mth for 12 months. £132 in total. After it's £26/mth meaning broadband and line rent will cost £44.99/mth.

Choose to pay broadband and line rent monthly and it's £29.99/mth for 12mths. £44.99/mth after.

You pay £59.99 set-up. Includes activation and p&p for the 'free' router.

You can claim a £125 prepaid Mastercard AFTER installation. This is what makes the deal really hot. Annoyingly, BT won't remind you, so diarise to use this Mastercard claim form (you can spend the card anywhere that accepts Mastercard).

The total you'll pay over the year by paying line rental upfront is £397.07 before calls. But claim and use the Mastercard and it's £272.07 or £22.67/mth.

If you choose to pay line rental monthly then it's £419.87 for the year or £294.87 if you factor in the £125 Mastercard. Equivalent to £24.57/mth

- What about calls? Weekend calls to UK landlines are included. See other BT costs.

- Could BT hike prices? Sadly, telecoms firms often do, but you'd be able to leave your contract within 30 days of notification if so. If you pay line rental upfront you'd at least be shielded from any line hikes in that year.

- Anything else? You get 100GB free online storage and you can opt in to free BT Sport for three months (then it's from £5/mth  cancel if you don't want it).

Full BT call charges, tips & customer service ratings

What are BT's call charges? An additional 19p set-up fee applies to all chargeable calls.

Landline  daytime

Landline  evening

Landline  weekend

Mobile  anytime

11p/min

11p/min

Inclusive

13.65p/min

What counts as a new customer? You won't be eligible if you've already got broadband with BT. You can get the deal if you have a BT home phone, or if you've previously had BT broadband but are now with another provider.

How do I know I need a new line? If you already have a BT line (most other broadband providers use its network) then you won't need a new one. If you don't have a line, or you're switching from cable, you'll need to have one installed, but it's free with this deal.

If you do already have a BT line but want a second one, you'll pay £130 for installation.

How do I claim the Mastercard? To get the Mastercard you must fill in this online form, make sure you do this once your broadband service has been installed as you can't do it before. You'll need:

Your BT order number, which begins VOL012 or AJM (it'll be in your confirmation email).

The postcode where your broadband has been installed.

An email address to confirm your claim.

Once you've submitted your claim form your Mastercard will be sent to the address your broadband was installed at within 45 days. You must claim the Mastercard within six months of installation and activate it within three months of receiving the activation code.

If after 45 days of your broadband going live you haven't received your Mastercard, please contact BT via this online form.

Anything to watch out for? When you pay upfront, there's always a risk you could lose cash if the provider goes bust. The risk's bigger with smaller companies though.

If you take this deal and leave during the contract you may be liable for early termination fees. If you're out of contract a £5.50 cease charge may apply if you move from BT to a provider that isn't part of the BT Wholesale network (eg, Virgin Media) or if you cancel broadband to your property altogether.

Does it include calls? The package includes unlimited weekend calls to UK landlines. If you want extra calls, unlimited evening and weekend calls cost £3.50/mth.

Until Fri 9 Dec, New Virgin Media customers (those who've not been with it for at least 12mths) can sign up to a 12-month contract via uSwitch* and get the following on its unlimited up-to-50Mb fibre package:

Choose to pay line rent upfront if you can afford to. It's £196 upfront for a year (equivalent to £16.22/mth). To pay upfront, sign up, then call 0800 064 3840 once your installation date's confirmed and request the 'Line Rental Saver' option.
Unlimited broadband is then £6/mth over the 12 month contract, £268 in total. If you stay after the contract ends the broadband and line rent jumps to £40/mth.

Compulsory £14.99 activation fee. This is unavoidable and will be applied to your first bill.

If you pay line rental upfront, factoring in the activation fee, total broadband line rental cost over 12 months, it's £282.99 all-in, equivalent to £23.58/mth. If you pay line rental monthly it's £314.99 all-in, or £26.25/mth.

- What about calls? Weekend calls (up to 60 mins per call) to landlines, Virgin Mobile numbers, and all calls to 0870 numbers are included. For other costs, see full call charges below.

- Need a router? It's free and there's no delivery costs to pay.

- Need a new line? If you only have a standard BT line and haven't currently got a Virgin line you'll need a new one installed  it's free with this deal.

Full Virgin tips, call charges and customer service ratings

Anything to watch out for? When you pay upfront, there's always a risk you could lose cash if the provider goes bust. The risk's bigger with smaller companies than it is with Virgin.

Virgin may apply an unbilled credit limit, this will vary depending on a few factors and you'll be told when you need to make a payment towards your bill.

Direct debit is the cheapest way to pay. If you choose to pay by credit or debit card, bank transfer or cheque, Virgin Media charges an additional £5/mth. Paper billing is also extra, costing £1.75/mth (online billing is included free).

What are Virgin's call charges? An additional 17.5p set-up fee applies to all chargeable calls.

Until Tue 20 Dec, BT-owned Plusnet* is offering this 18-month fibre deal for newbies. It includes line rent and unlimited downloads with fibre broadband boasting up-to-38Mb speeds.

The company was a strong performer in our latest customer service poll  55% rated it 'great', only 15% 'poor'. This deal's available to 83% of the UK based on postcode (you're told when applying), though you can't get it if you're already a Plusnet customer (or left in the last month). Here's how it works...

Choose to pay line rental upfront if you can afford to. It's cheapest if you pay the £185.88 year's line rent upfront, and then pay £17.99/mth for the remaining six months, a total of £293.82, equiv £16.32/mth. You choose which option in the phone section of the online application. Unlimited fibre broadband's then £9.51/mth for 18 months or £17.01/mth if you don't live in a low-cost area. If you stay after the contract, fibre broadband and line rent will cost £32.98/mth or £40.48/mth depending on where you live.

Paid monthly fibre broadband and line rent's £27.50/mth. £32.98/mth after. Those not living in 'low-cost areas' will pay £30.50/mth for 18 months then £40.48/mth after.

If you opt to pay a year's line rental upfront, then over the 18-month contract the total cost's £465 (equiv £25.83/mth). Pay line rental monthly and it's £495 for the 18 months (£27.50/mth).

- What about calls? No calls are included  calls to UK phones are mostly a bit more than BT (see Plusnet charges).
- No line/switching from cable (or in a few cases, Sky cust)? Installation's £49.99. You'll know before committing.
- Need a router? There's an optional 'free' one available, though Plusnet charges £6.99 p&p. It's worth checking whether your router is compatible and whether you need to unblock it first. Read Plusnet's FAQ on this.

Full Plusnet call charges, tips & customer service ratings

What are Plusnet's call charges? A 19p set-up fee applies to all chargeable calls. Plusnet also applies an unbilled calls limit. This means if you make more than £55 worth of phone calls, further outgoing calls will be stopped until you've got your bill back under £50. You'll also be charged a £5.76 fee for this on your next bill.

Landline  daytime

Landline  evening

Landline  weekend

Mobile  anytime

12.54p/min

12.54p/min

12.54p/min

12.54p/min

Who counts as a new customer? Anyone who hasn't had a service with Plusnet for at least a month.

Anything to watch out for? When you pay upfront, there's always a risk you'll lose cash if the provider goes bust. The risk's bigger with smaller companies than with BT (which owns Plusnet).

If you take this deal and leave during the contract you may be liable for early termination fees. If you're out of contract a £30 cease-charge may apply if you move from Plusnet to a provider that isn't part of the BT Wholesale network (such as Virgin Media) or if you cancel broadband to your property altogether.

Will I have to pay the £49.99 new line fee? If you don't have a line, or you're switching from cable, you'll need to pay for a new line. If you have a BT line but are with another provider, ie, Sky or TalkTalk, you may also have to pay, but you'll be told this during the sign-up process before you commit to the deal.

What if I want calls? Calls aren't included but you can add one of Plusnet's call plans, which start at £3/mth.

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Best buys Top deals if you want BT

Let's be straight  BT isn't the cheapest provider around. But as many of you tell us you'd like to stick with the big boy, here's the best deals we've found. Remember BT broadband customers also get BT Sport at a discount which is a bonus for footie fans.

Until Mon 12 Dec, BT broadband newbies (anyone who doesn't have it now) can get a discounted 1yr contract for line rent & up-to-17Mb speed unlimited broadband via this uSwitch deal link*. It's the second offer in the list.

Here's how you get it:

Choose to pay line rent upfront if you can afford to. It's cheapest if you pay the £205.08 year's line rent upfront (equiv £17.09/mth), you choose which option during the application. Unlimited broadband is then £6/mth over the 12 month contract, £277.08 in total. If you stay after the contract ends the broadband and line rent jumps to £38.99/mth.

You pay £9.99 upfront. This covers the 'free' BT Hub router delivery. You also get 100GB of free online storage.

To get the £75 Mastercard you need to claim AFTER installation. The key to the deal is you get a £75 prepaid Mastercard (which you can spend anywhere that takes Mastercard). BT won't remind you so diarise to use this prepaid Mastercard claim form. It can take up to 45 days to arrive from claiming.

The total cost including broadband, line rental and router (before calls) is £309.87 for the year, equivalent to £25.82/mth. If you factor in the £75 Mastercard its £234.87 for the year, equivalent to £19.57/mth.

If you opt to pay for line rental upfront and include the cost of broadband and the router delivery it's £287.07 over 12 months, equivalent to £23.92/mth or £17.67/mth if you'd spend the £75 Mastercard.

- What about calls? Weekend calls to UK landlines are included. If you want extra calls, add-ons start from £3.50/month. Full info on call charges below.

- No line/switching from cable? Installation's £30.

- Want BT Sport? If you opt in watching online and on the app is free for 3mths, it's then from £5/mth. It's free if you choose to get BT TV too.

Full BT tips, call charges and customer service ratings

What counts as a new customer? You won't be eligible if you've already got broadband with BT. You can get the deal if you have a BT home phone, or if you've previously had BT broadband but are now with another provider.

How do I know I need a new line? If you already have a BT line (most other broadband providers use its network) then you won't need a new one. If you don't have a line, or you're switching from cable, you'll need to have one installed, it's £30 with this deal.

If you do already have a BT line but want a second one, you'll pay £130 for installation.

How do I claim the Mastercard? To get the Mastercard you must fill in this online form, make sure you do this once your broadband service has been installed as you can't do it before that. You'll need:

Your BT order number, which begins with VOL012 or AJM (it'll be in your confirmation email).

The postcode where your broadband has been installed.

An email address to confirm your claim.

Once you've submitted your claim form your Mastercard will be sent to the address your broadband was installed at within 45 days. You must claim the Mastercard within six months of installation and activate it within three months of receiving the activation code.

If after 45 days of your broadband going live you haven't received your Mastercard, please contact BT via this online form.

Anything to watch out for? When you pay upfront, there's always a risk you could lose cash if the provider goes bust. The risk's bigger with smaller companies than it is with BT.

If you take this deal and leave during the contract you may be liable for early termination fees. If you're out of contract a £31 cease charge may apply if you move from BT to a provider who isn't part of the BT Wholesale network (ie, Virgin Media) or if you cancel broadband to your property altogether.

Does it include calls? The package includes unlimited weekend calls to UK landlines. If you want extra calls, add-ons start from £3.50/month.

What are BT's call charges? An additional 19p set-up fee applies to all chargeable calls.

Best buys Broadband-only deals

It's outrageous that people who just want broadband almost always need to pay for a phone line too. There are some options, as we explain below, but they're generally more expensive than the cheapest line rental and broadband deals (see above).

The alternative options include:

The cheapest no-phone-line broadband deal we could find is with Relish.net*. It costs from £20/mth but it's only for those in central London  it uses its own 4G wireless network. As it's a relatively new company, it's difficult to assess its reliability though.

If you go for mobile broadband you won't need line rental but it isn't as reliable as home broadband. For more info and the best deals around, see our Mobile broadband guide.

Satellite broadband is suitable for people who live in rural areas where traditional fixed lines are unavailable. It uses a satellite dish to provide an internet connection to your router. However, you can only get speeds of up to 20Mb and it's very expensive.

Here's the only traditional, truly standalone broadband deal, but be warned  taking a phone line is almost always cheaper.

Unlimited fibre broadband £18/mth for the entire 12-month contract. Speeds of up to 50Mb (depending on your postcode). It'll then increase to £32.25/mth after the 12 months.

Installation's free. With this deal there's no charge for installation but there's an unavoidable £14.99 activation fee which is applied to your first bill.

- Need a router? It's free and there's no delivery costs to pay.

Over the 12-month contract it's £230.99, excluding calls. Monthly it works out to be £19.25/mth if you factor in the activation fee.

Full Virgin info and customer service ratings

Direct debit is the cheapest way to pay. If you choose to pay by credit or debit card, bank transfer or cheque, Virgin Media charge an additional £5/mth. Paper billing is also extra, costing £1.75/mth (online billing is included).

What's customer service like?

Virgin Media home phone customer service poll results

Great

33%

OK

49%

Poor

18%

Oct 2016 | Voters: 1,1337

Virgin Media broadband customer service poll results

Great

43%

OK

34%

Poor

22%

Oct 2016 | Voters: 1,480

Best buys Short-term contract broadband

If you're planning to move home soon, living in student accommodation or you want the freedom to leave with a short, no-penalty notice period, the deal below allows you to sign up on a monthly rolling contract, which although more expensive, can be cheaper than paying penalty charges to get out of a standard 12- or 18-month contract.

However, if you are planning to move, first check if your new contract's 'portable', meaning you can take it with you. Some providers will let you do this, but it's on a case-by-case basis.

Broadband and line rent's £28.90/mth. Direct Save Telecom could increase prices at any time, but as you're not tied into a long contract, you're free to leave by giving 28 days' notice. There's a 20GB/mth download limit. Unlinited broadband will set you back £33.90/mth.

You need its router. It's 'free' but you'll need to pay £8.95 p&p and £24.95 for activation.

The total 20GB broadband, router p&p and activation cost for the first year is £380.70, equivalent to £31.73/mth.

Full Direct Save Telecom info and call charges

Who is Direct Save Telecom? Direct Save Telecom is a low-cost broadband and home phone provider. It isn't as big as other providers so we don't have feedback on its customer service but it's been around since 1995 and has been providing line rental since 2004.

Cashback sites may pay you for signing up

As an extra boon, members of specialist cashback websites can be paid when they sign up to some financial products. Do check that it's exactly the same deal though, as terms can be different. And remember the cashback is never 100% guaranteed until it's in your account.

Problems with getting an MSE Blagged deal?

If you signed up to an MSE Blagged deal  a best-in-market offer we've negotiated exclusively  which involves you being sent a voucher, we'll always do our best to ensure you get the voucher.

But as we warn above, there can occasionally be problems with the deal tracking. In particular, if you were running ad-blocking software or cookie blockers when you signed up for the deal, or exited your browser while in the process of signing up, this can stop it tracking correctly.

Key tips

Many vouchers are supposed to arrive within three months of installation (see each deal for specific details). If it hasn't been that long yet, please be patient.

If you're waiting for an email voucher, please do check your spam folder regularly in case it's been diverted there.

Below we've listed the main past blagged deals, including the MSE Broadband Switch Event Sky deal, so you can check what you're due.

Warning: This is an archive so these deals may no longer be available.

BT: Broadband and line rent deals

The BT deal below ended on Thu 3 March, we've posted a full reminder of what was on offer.

If after 30 days of your broadband going live you didn't receive your cashback, please fill out this BT form. If you didn't receive your Mastercard please fill out this BT form.

Please note, that vouchers may have to be claimed so please ensure you've done that and waited the specified amount of time (usually 28 days) before getting in touch.

Fibre & line rent £383 for 1yr, £130 back*

If line rent paid upfront. Paid monthly it's £416 for a yr

Available to: 83% of UK

Speed: Up to 52Mb

Download limit: Unlimited

Traffic shaping? No

Contract length: 12 months

Deal requires line rental? Yes

Inclusive calls? Weekend

New line installation: Free

Until Thu 9 June, those who don't currently have broadband with BT can get its Unlimited BT Infinity 1 + Weekend Calls* package with unlimited superfast downloads up to 52Mb, line rental on a 12-month contract and inclusive weekend calls.

The deal's available to 83% of the UK (you're told when applying whether you can get it). Here's how it works...

Sign up now. Go via this specific BT link*.

Choose to pay line rent upfront if you can afford to. It's cheapest if you pay the £194.28 year's line rent upfront (equiv £16.19/mth), if not it's £17.99 monthly (£18.99/mth from 3 July), you choose which option during the application.

Fibre broadband's £10.99/mth during the year's contract. There's also a £49 activation fee, plus a 'free' BT Infinity Hub router, though you pay £7.95 p&p. If you stay after the contract ends the broadband jumps to £26/mth.

£100 Mastercard BUT you must claim it. Frustratingly, you need to register for the Mastercard via this online form (bookmark this link) once the broadband's activated. It's then posted within 30 days but make a diary note with a copy of this link  BT WON'T remind you. See full details of how to claim.

MSE Blagged. £30 cheque sent within 45 days of installation. You have to go via the above link and you must ensure your ad or cookie blocking software is turned off or the deal may not track and you won't receive your cheque.

The total cost including fibre broadband, line rental upfront, activation fee and router is £383.11 for the year, equivalent to £31.93/mth or £415.71 if you pay line rent monthly  equivalent to £34.64/mth (calculated with one month at £17.99 and £18.99/mth for the remainder of the contract following BT's price hike from 3 July)

If you factor in the £100 Mastercard and £30 cashback, the total cost is £253.11 for the year, equivalent to £21.09/mth (or £285.71 if you pay line rent monthly  equiv £23.81/mth).

- What about calls? Weekend calls to UK landlines are included. If you want extra calls, add-ons start from £3.50/month. Full info on call charges below.

- No line/switching from cable? Installation's free.

-Want BT Sport? Lite's included  the full shebang is £6/mth or free with BT TV.

Full BT call charges, tips & customer service ratings

What are BT's call charges? An additional 17.06p (19p from 3 July) set-up fee applies to all chargeable calls.

Landline - daytime

Landline - evening

Landline - weekend

Mobile - anytime

10.24p/min (11p from 3 July)

10.24p/min (11p from 3 July)

Inclusive

13.65p/min

What counts as a new customer? You won't be eligible if you've already got broadband with BT. You can get the deal if you have a BT home phone, or if you've previously had BT broadband but are now with another provider.

How do I know I need a new line? If you already have a BT line (most other broadband providers use its network) then you won't need a new one. If you don't have a line, or you're switching from cable, you'll need to have one installed, but it's free with this deal.

If you do already have a BT line but want a second one, you'll pay £130 for installation.

How do I claim the Mastercard? To get the Mastercard you must fill in this online form*, make sure you do this once your broadband service has been installed as you can't do it before that, you'll need:

Your BT order number, which begins with VOL012, followed by 11 more characters (it'll be in your confirmation email).

The postcode where your broadband has been installed.

An email address to confirm your claim.

Once you've submitted your claim form, your Mastercard will be sent to the address your broadband was installed at within 30 days. You must claim the Mastercard within six months of installation and activate it within three months of receiving the activation code, it can be spent anywhere that accepts Mastercard.

If after 30 days of your broadband going live you haven't received your Mastercard, please contact BT via this online form.

If after 45 days of installation you've not received your cashback please fill out this BT form. Make sure you include your full name, BT user name, order date, connection date and the email address you signed up with.

Anything to watch out for? When you pay upfront, there's always a risk you could lose cash if the provider goes bust. The risk's bigger with smaller companies though.

If you take this deal and leave during the contract you may be liable for early termination fees. If you're out of contract a £5.50 cease charge may apply if you move from BT to a provider who isn't part of the BT Wholesale network (ie, Virgin Media) or if you cancel broadband to your property altogether.

Does it include calls? The package includes unlimited weekend calls to UK landlines. If you want extra calls, unlimited evening and weekend calls cost £3.50/mth.

If line rent paid upfront. Paid monthly it's £393 for a yr

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Available to: 75% of UK

Speed: Up to 38Mb

Download limit: Unlimited

Traffic shaping? No

Contract length: 12 months

Deal requires line rental? Yes

Inclusive calls? Weekend

New line installation: Free

Until Thu 3 March, Those who didn't currently have broadband with BT could get its Unlimited BT Infinity 1 + Weekend Calls* package with unlimited superfast downloads up to 38Mb, line rental on a 12-month contract and inclusive weekend calls.

The deal was available to 75% of the UK (you were told when applying whether you can get it). Here's how it worked...

Sign up by 11.59pm on Thu 3 March. Go via this our specific BT link.

Choose to pay line rent upfront if you could afford to. It's cheapest if you pay the £194.28 year's line rent upfront (equiv £16.19/mth), if not it's £17.99 monthly. You chose which option during the application.

Fibre broadband was £10/mth during the year's contract. There was also a £49 activation fee, plus a 'free' BT Infinity Hub router, though you paid £7.95 p&p. If you stayed after the contract ended the broadband jumped to £25/mth.

£75 Mastercard BUT you had to claim it. Frustratingly, you needed to register for the Mastercard via this online form* once the broadband was activated. It was then posted within 30 days. BT DIDN'T remind you. See full details of how to claim.

MSE Blagged. You got sent a cheque for £75 cashback within four months of installation. This is the bit we blagged, you had to use the link above and if you use ad- or cookie-blocking software, the deal may not have tracked if you didn't turn them off. The cheque was in the account holder's name and sent to the supply address.

Online deals have to track properly in order for you to get your cashback. A few things can prevent that, so please make sure that you:

1) Disable ad-blocking software or cookie blockers (if you don't know what they are, it's unlikely you're using them so it's less of an issue). These can stop the deal tracking, so please temporarily unblock them (for help see cookie blockers).

2) Don't exit your browser and reopen it while signing up for the deal, as this can stop it tracking correctly.

If after 30 days of your broadband going live you haven't received your cashback, please email affiliates@bt.com. When emailing, please make sure you include your full name, BT user name, order date, connection date and the email address you signed up with.

- What about calls? Weekend calls to UK landlines were included. If you wanted extra calls, add-ons start from £3.20/month.

- No line/switching from cable? Installation was free.

-Want BT Sport? Lite was included  the full shebang was £5/mth or 'free' with BT TV.

If after 30 days of your broadband going live you didn't receive your cashback, please fill out this BT form. If you didn't receive your Mastercard please fill out this BT form.

Still got a question? If you've satisfied the criteria above and still have issues, please email voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com. We'll try to answer your query as quickly as possible. When emailing, make sure you include your full name, BT user name, order date, connection date and the email address you signed up with.

If paid line rental upfront. Paid monthly it was £307

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Available to: 75% of UK

Speed: Up to 38Mb

Download limit: Unlimited

Traffic shaping? No

Contract length: 12 months

Deal requires line rental? Yes

Inclusive calls? Weekend

New line installation: Free

Until Wed 18 Nov, those who didn't at the time have broadband with it could get its Unlimited BT Infinity 1 + Weekend Calls package with unlimited super-fast downloads up to 38MB, line rental on a 12-month contract and inclusive weekend calls.

The deal was available to 75% of the UK (you were told when applying whether you can get it). Here's how it worked...

You sign up by Mon 23 Nov. You went via a specific BT link.

You paid line rent upfront. It was cheapest if you paid the £194.28 year's line rent upfront (equiv £16.19/mth), if not it's £17.99 monthly. You chose which option during the application.

Fibre broadband was £10/mth during the year's contract. There was also a £39 activation fee, plus a 'free' BT Infinity Hub router, though you paid £6.95 p&p. If you stay after the contract ends the broadband jumps to £23/mth.

MSE Blagged. £75 cashback within 30 days of installation. This is the bit we blagged, so you should've ensured that used the link above and if you used ad- or cookie-blocking software, you should've turned it off or it may not have tracked. The cheque will be in the account holder's name and sent to the supply address. If you've not received it you can claim via this link:
www.vouchers.bt.com/offer/cashback

£100 Sainsbury's in-store gift card. At least 5 days after installation you had to fill an online claim form to get it and it'd be sent within 30 days.

Online deals have to track properly in order for you to get your cashback. A few things can prevent that, so please make sure that you:

1) Disable ad-blocking software or cookie blockers (if you don't know what they are, it's unlikely you're using them so it's less of an issue). These can stop the deal tracking, so please temporarily unblock them (for help see cookie blockers).

2) Don't exit your browser and reopen it while signing up for the deal, as this can stop it tracking correctly.

If after 30 days of your broadband going live you haven't received your cashback, please email affiliates@bt.com. When emailing, please make sure you include your full name, BT user name, order date, connection date and the email address you signed up with.

- What about calls? Weekend calls to UK landlines were included. Add-ons start from £3.20/month. Full info on call charges below.
- No line/switching from cable? Installation was free.
- Want BT Sport? Lite was included  the full shebang was £5/mth or 'free' with TV.

If after 30 days of your broadband going live you didn't receive your cashback, please fill out this BT form. If you didn't receive your Mastercard please fill out this BT form.

Still got a question? If you've satisfied the criteria above and still have issues, please email voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com. We'll try to answer your query as quickly as possible.

EE: Broadband and line rent deals

The EE broadband deal below ended on 12 Oct 2015  we've posted it as a full reminder of what was on offer. The voucher value has varied over the lifetime of this deal  it's been £50, £100 or £120 in Amazon vouchers.

With this deal, your voucher was sent within 90 days of installation. If your voucher still hasn't arrived after 90 days, please email voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com.

When emailing, please make sure you include your full name, order date and connection date, the email address you signed up with and your order reference (this'll start with DKI, followed by several numbers, usually seven  it's on the PDF EE sent you, or call EE customer services). This info will help ensure you get a quick response.

B'band & line rent pay £183 for a year, get £120 Amzn vch

Not sure where your voucher is? We can help

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Available to: 95% of UK

Speed: Up to 17Mb

Download limit: Unlimited

Traffic shaping? Yes, at peak times

Contract length: 12 months

Deal requires line rental? Yes

Inclusive calls? Weekend

New line installation: £30

Until Tue 12 Oct new EE customers who used our special EE link and entered the code MSE120, were able to get the following on a one-year contract:

Compulsory line rental. You could have paid a year's line rental upfront for £165 or alternatively it's £16.40/mth if you pay it monthly.

Unlimited broadband (avail to 95% of UK). You paid £1/mth, so £12 for the year. Note that after the first year we warned that the price would rise to £9.95/mth.

Call costs: Weekend calls to landlines were included. Other calls were priced at slightly less than with BT.

You were sent a £120 Amazon voucher within 90 days. This was emailed automatically, provided you went via our EE deal link and entered the correct code. This took up to 90 days from installation (not from when you applied for the deal) to arrive

Needed a new line? If you didn't have a line (or were switching from cable (or in a few cases from Sky) it was £30 and you were told this before commiting.

Compulsory 'free' Wi-Fi router. Technically the router was 'free', but you had to get one and pay a one-off £6 to cover p&p.

Still in contract? Get up to £100 credit to cover switching costs. If you were in contract elsewhere and had to pay to switch, EE gave up to £100 credit to cover costs (excl call charges). You'd have to pay your old provider upfront, then claim from EE within 90 days of your new broadband going live. You'd also need to upload your last bill from your old provider to the EE site  it'd credit your account once it's verified your request.

If you're experiencing problems with this deal, please look at the points below which address some frequently asked questions.

This deal was only open to those who didn't already have EE broadband.

Your voucher would have been sent from noreply@giftcloud.com within 90 days of installation and only to those who applied via the online link.

Still got a question? If you've satisfied the criteria above and still don't know what's happened to your voucher, please email voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com. We'll try to answer your query as quickly as possible.

Plusnet: Broadband and line rent deals

The Plusnet broadband deal below ended on Tue 24 Nov  we've posted it as a full reminder of what was on offer.

With this deal, your cashback was sent within 60 days of installation. If your cashback still hasn't arrived after 60 days, please email voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com.

When emailing, please make sure you include your full name, Plusnet user name, order date and connection date and the email address you signed up with. This info will help ensure you get a quick response.

Broadband and line rent £186 over 12mths, get £80 cashback*

If line rent paid upfront. Paid monthly it's £216

Available to: 90% of UK

Speed: Up to 17Mb

Download limit: Unlimited

Traffic shaping? Yes

Contract length: 12 months

Deal requires line rental? Yes

Inclusive calls? No

New line installation: £49.99

Until Thu 27 Oct, new Plusnet customers, or those who've not been with it in the last month, can get a 12-mth contract with BT-owned Plusnet*, which includes line rental and unlimited downloads with up-to-17Mb speed broadband.

It was a strong performer in our latest customer service poll  62% rated it 'great', only 15% 'poor'. The deal's available to 90% of the UK based on postcode (you're told when applying). Here's how it works...

Sign up. Use this specific link*  the deal's exclusive to MoneySavingExpert.

Choose to pay line rent upfront if you can afford to. It's cheapest if you pay the £185.88 year's line rent upfront (equiv £15.49/mth). It's then £17.99/mth after. If you don't pay line rent upfront it's £17.99/mth for the entire 12-month contract. You choose which option during the application.

Broadband's 'free' for the 12-month contract. If you stay after the contract it's £9.99/mth or £17.49/mth depending on where you live, so diarise to switch at this point.

£80 cashback - it's sent automatically. Ensure you use the link above and you'll receive a cheque for £80 within 60 days of your broadband activation date.

Pay by direct debit. Or there's a £1.50-per-payment extra charge.

If you pay a year's line rent upfront, it's £185.88 over 12 months (equiv £15.49/mth). Pay line rent monthly and it's £17.99 a month, so £215.88 for the 12 months. If you factor in the cashback, then it's equivalent to £105.88 over 12 months, or £8.82 per month. Pay line rent monthly and it's equivalent to £135.88 for the 12 months, or £11.32 monthly.

- What about calls? No calls are included – calls to other UK phones are mostly a bit more than BT. See Plusnet charges.

- No line/switching from cable (or in a few cases, Sky cust)? Installation's £49.99. You'll know before committing.

- Need a router? An optional 'free' one is available, though Plusnet charges £6.99 p&p. It's worth checking whether your router is compatible and whether you need to unblock it first. Read Plusnet's FAQ on this.

Full Plusnet call charges, tips & customer service ratings

What are Plusnet's call charges? An additional 19p set-up fee applies to all chargeable calls. It also applies an unbilled calls limit. This means if you make more than £55 worth of phone calls, further outgoing calls will be stopped until you've got it back under £50. You'll also be charged a £5.76 fee on your next bill.

Landline  daytime

Landline  evening

Landline  weekend

Mobile  anytime

12.54p/min

12.54p/min

12.54p/min

12.54p/min

Who counts as a new customer? Anyone who hasn't had a service with Plusnet for at least a month.

Anything to watch out for? When you pay upfront, there's always a risk you'll lose cash if the provider goes bust. The risk's bigger with smaller companies than it is with BT, which owns Plusnet.

If you take this deal and leave during the contract you may be liable for early termination fees. If you're out of contract a £30 cease charge may apply if you move from Plusnet to a provider which isn't part of the BT Wholesale network (ie, Virgin Media) or if you cancel broadband to your property altogether.

Will I have to pay the £49.99 new line fee? If you don't have a line, or you're switching from cable, you'll need to pay for a new line. If you have a BT line but are with another provider, ie, Sky or TalkTalk, you may also have to pay but you'll be told whether you will or not during the sign-up process before you commit to the deal.

What if I want calls? Calls aren't included but you can add one of Plusnet's call plans which start at £4/mth.

Not received your cashback? If it's been two months since your service has gone live and you're still waiting on cashback, please contact Plusnet on freephone 0800 432 0200 and have your username and password to hand. It will then hopefully assist you with locating your missing cheque.

If after contacting Plusnet you are still having difficulties, please email us at voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com with your Plusnet username details and we will do our best to help you.

B'band and line rental pay £111 for a year, incl £75 back

If line paid upfront. Paid monthly it was £129 for 1 yr

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Available to: 90% of UK

Speed: Up to 17Mb

Download limit: Unlimited

Traffic shaping? Yes

Contract length: 12 months

Deal requires line rental? Yes

Inclusive calls? No

New line installation: £49.99

Until Tue 24 Nov, we blagged this deal for a year's Plusnet* contract which included line rental and unlimited downloads, up-to-17Mb speed broadband available to 95% of the UK. Anyone who wasn't an existing Plusnet broadband customer or had been in the last 12 months could get it. Here's how it worked:

Sign up by 11.59pm on Mon 24 Nov. Go via this Plusnet link*

Paying line rental upfront for a year is cheapest. You could pay a year's line rental upfront for £185.88 or alternatively it's £16.99/mth monthly.

Broadband was then free for a year. £9.99/mth after or £17.49/mth (depending on where you live) but you can leave. You can also pay £6.99 p&p for if you need a 'free' router.

4. We blagged you £75 cashback. You'll automatically got sent a £75 cheque in the account holder's name to the supply address, it should've arrived within 60 days of your broadband being activated.

Online deals have to track properly in order for you to get your cashback. A few things can prevent that, so please make sure that you:

1) Disable ad-blocking software or cookie blockers (if you don't know what they are, it's unlikely you're using them so it's less of an issue). These can stop the deal tracking, so please temporarily unblock them (for help see cookie blockers).

2) Don't exit your browser and reopen it while signing up for the deal, as this can stop it tracking correctly.

That means it was £111 for a year factoring the cashback in. If you paid the line rent upfront for a year, the total cost (excl calls) was £185.88. If you cashed the £75 cheque, factor it in and it's effectively £110.88 for the year, equivalent to £9.24/mth. If you paid the line rent monthly it's £203.88/yr, so £128.88 including the cashback (£10.74/mth equiv).

- What about calls? No calls included, calls to UK phones are slightly less than BT (see full charges).
- No line/switching from cable (or in a few cases, Sky cust)? Installation's £49.99. You'd have known before committing.
- How's Plusnet's customer service? Good. In our June survey 68% said it's 'great', 23% 'ok' and 9% 'poor'.

If you're experiencing problems with this deal, please look at the points below first:

This deal was only open to new customers  so those who didn't have Plusnet and hadn't had it for at least 12 months.

Cashback cheques take 60 days to arrive. Please wait the necessary time before getting in touch.

If you signed up elsewhere and didn't click through the link we posted when the deal was live, you won't be eligible for the cashback.

Not received your cashback? If it's been two months since your service has gone live and you're still waiting on cashback, Please contact Plusnet on the following freephone number 0800 432 0200 and have your username and password to hand. They will then hopefully assist you with locating your missing voucher.

Still got a question? If you've satisfied the criteria above and still don't know what's happened to your voucher, please email voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com. We'll try to answer your query as quickly as possible.

TalkTalk: Broadband and line rent deals

The TalkTalk broadband deal below ended on Fri 21 Aug  we've posted it as a full reminder of what was on offer.

When emailing, please make sure you include your full name, order date and connection date and the email address you signed up with. This info will help ensure you get a quick response.

B'band plus line rent £200 over 18mths

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Available to: 95% of UK

Speed: Up to 17Mb

Download limit: Unlimited

Traffic shaping? No

Contract length: 18 months

Deal requires line rental? Yes

Inclusive calls? No

New line installation: Free

This deal ended on Fri 21 Aug 2015. It was part of the MSE Big Broadband Switch Event, and we featured it in the weekly email on 05 Aug and 12 Aug, but if you got it and are having issues with getting what you signed up for, read on. First, here's a summary of the deal:

Line rental. It was half-price for 12 months at £8.35/mth, then £16.70/mth for the remaining six months of the contract. There was no upfront payment option with this deal.

No calls included. Chargeable calls are a touch more than BT's standard.

'Free' Wi-Fi router. Both the router and delivery were free.

Need a new line? If you didn't have a line or only had a cable one (or in a few cases other lines), installation was free but you wouldn't have got the voucher. It would have told you before you committed.

If you're experiencing problems with this deal, please look at the points below which address some frequently asked questions.

This deal was only open to those who didn't already have TalkTalk.

Still got a question? If you've satisfied the criteria above and still have issues, please email voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com. We'll try to answer your query as quickly as possible.

Sky: Broadband and line rent deals

Broadband & line rent £64 for a year after £50 credit*

£5.36/mth equiv. Sky newbies only

Available to: 90% of UK

Speed: Up to 17Mb

Download limit: Unlimited

Traffic shaping? No

Contract length: 12 months

Deal requires line rental? Yes

Inclusive calls? No

New line installation: £20

Get a code now and apply via this Sky link*, for a year's contract, paid via direct debit. Originally there were 29,000 codes, 14,000 now remain. The key is half-price line rental and 'free' broadband, plus £50 bill credit. Sadly, existing Sky phone, TV, b'band customers aren't eligible (or if you've had any of them in the last 12mths). Ends 11.59pm on Thu 29 Sep. Read full info...

Half-price line rental. It's £17.40 a month, so you pay half that, £8.70/mth (so £104.40/yr). If Sky increases line rental during the contract (as most firms do regularly), you'll then pay half the new amount.

Unlimited broadband 'free' for 12 months. It's unlimited up-to-17Mb speed, available to 90% of the UK - you'll be told if you're covered when applying. After the 12-month contract ends, broadband's £10/mth if you stay.

You get a 'free' compulsory router. But there's an unavoidable £9.95 p&p added to your first bill.

- What about calls? Calls costs are a bit more than BT to landlines but a bit less to mobiles (11.5p/min to landlines and mobiles, 16.9p connection fee). Sky also has an unbilled calls credit limit  see below for info.

- Need a new line? If you don't have a line, or you're switching from cable, you'll need to pay £20 for a new line. However, if you have a BT line but pay another provider to use it, or you pay BT for your phone line, you may still have to pay the fee (see below).

- How cheap is this all-in? If you add up the line rental, broadband and router p&p, the total over the 12-month contract is £114.35 (at current prices, before calls). But, after the £50 bill credit it's £64.35 for a year (equivalent to £5.36/mth).

Will I have to pay the £20 new line fee? Whether or not you'll need a new line is determined on a case-by-case basis.

If you don't have a line, or you're switching from cable, you'll need to pay for a new line. However, if you have a BT line but pay another provider to use it, or you pay BT directly for your phone line, you may still have to pay the fee. If you need a disconnected line reconnected for example.

The only way to check for sure is through the application process. You'll be told after you've entered your details during the sign-up process. Sky will check these on the BT Openreach Checker to determine if you'll be charged. You'll know whether you'll have to pay the £20 before you commit to the deal, and you can choose not to continue if you do find you'll be charged.

What if I want more calls? You can add Sky Anytime Extra for an additional £8/mth  this gives you unlimited calls to UK mobiles and landlines, including both 0870 and 0845 numbers.

Sky also applies a £100/mth unbilled calls limit. This means if you make more than £100 worth of phone calls, further outgoing calls will be stopped until this is paid off.

What are Sky's call charges on its basic line rental option? An additional 16.9p set-up fee applies to all chargeable calls.

Landline  daytime

Landline  evening

Landline  weekend

Mobile  daytime

Mobile  evening

11.5p/min

11.5p/min

11.5p/min

11.5p/min

11.5p/min

What's customer service like?

Sky home phone customer service poll results

Great

37%

OK

43%

Poor

19%

Jan 2016 | Voters: 1,051

Sky broadband customer service poll results

Great

37%

OK

34%

Poor

29%

Jan 2016 | Voters: 1,051

B'band & half price line rent, £61 for 1yr after £50 credit*

Sky newbies only  14,000 codes

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Available to: 90% of UK

Speed: Up to 17Mb

Download limit: Unlimited

Traffic shaping? No

Contract length: 12 months

Deal requires line rental? Yes

Inclusive calls? No

New line installation: £20

We blagged Sky newbies (those who haven't been with Sky broadband, TV or talk in the last 12 months) a cracking deal via this specific Sky line rent & broadband* link. It was year's contract and the key wass half-price line rental and 'free' unlimited up-to-17Mb speed broadband. Plus, we blagged £50 bill credit, which covers almost six months' line rental.

Get a code NOW: Originally there were 15,000 codes, but as it was so popular, Sky added another 10,000 on Tuesday. So, if you applied via this Sky link* and you were sent an email with your code (one per home, not transferable). Once you got a code Sky emailed a bespoke link you could use to sign up. You had until 11.59pm Thu 16 June 2016.

How it worked...

Half-price line rental. It's £17.40 a month, so you paid half that, £8.70/mth (so £104.40/yr). If Sky increased line rental (as most firms do regularly), you'd then pay half the new amount.

Unlimited broadband 'free' for 12 months. It was unlimited up-to-17Mb speed. After the 12-month contract ends, broadband's £10/mth if you stayed.

We blagged you £50 bill credit. It was added to your account once your bill's active. The first £6.95 paid for the 'free' compulsory router delivery, the rest would be used up on line rental and calls until it's gone, so you wouldn't shell out for up to six months

Card verification refunded. You paid £5 to verify your card when ordering but it was added to your bill credit.

- How cheap was this all-in? If you added up the line rental, broadband and router p&p, the total over the 12-month contract was £111.35 (at current prices, before calls). But, after the £50 bill credit, it's £61.35 for the year, equivalent to £5.11/mth before calls.

- What about calls? None were included. Call costs are a bit more than BT to landlines but a bit less to mobiles (11.5p/min to landlines and mobiles, 16.9p connection fee). Sky also has an unbilled calls credit limit  see below for info.

- Need a new line? If you didn't have a line, or you were switching from cable, you needed to pay £20 for a new line. There's a chance that you still needed to pay if you did have a BT line (see full information below for why) though if this was the case, you were told on sign up.

- Direct debit was the only way to pay. You wouldn't be able to get this deal otherwise.

Still got a question? If you've satisfied the criteria above and are still having issues, please email us at voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com.
When emailing, please make sure you include your full name, home address, date of purchase, Sky account number and, the email address you signed up with. This info will help ensure you get a quick response. We'll try to answer your query as quickly as possible.

B'band & line rent £116 for 1yr after £100 back*

Sky newbies only  started Friday 4 March, grab a code now

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Available to: 90% of UK

Speed: Up to 17Mb

Download limit: Unlimited

Traffic shaping? No

Contract length: 12 months

Deal requires line rental? Yes

Inclusive calls? No

New line installation: £20

We blagged Sky newbies (those who haven't been with Sky in the last 12 months) a top deal via this our specific Sky line rent & broadband* link.

On a year's contract you got 'free' unlimited up-to-17Mb speed b'band (avail to 90% of the UK), though you had to take Sky's line rental at £17.40/mth before calls but you also got £100 bill credit added to your account.

Here's how to get it:

Get a code: There were only 15,000 codes available via our Sky link* It's was one per household, and they couldn't be transferred or sold. You needed to enter your name, address and email.

Sign up from 10am Fri 4 March until 11.59pm Thu 10 March. Use your code to sign up (we posted the link here when it went live and Sky sent you an email reminder too). You needed to pay a refundable £5 to verify your card.

Pay line rental monthly. It was £17.40/mth so £208.80 for the year.

Unlimited broadband 'free' for 12 months. After the 12 month contract ended, it then rose to £10/mth, You also got a 'free' compulsory router, though you paid £6.95 p&p.

We blagged you £100 bill credit: So in month one you had £105 credit once your account was live (the £100 plus the refundable £5).

- What about calls? None were included. Call costs were a bit more than BT to landlines but a bit less to mobiles (11.5p/min to landlines and mobiles, 16.9p connection fee). Sky also has an unbilled calls credit limit  see below for info.

- Need a new line? If you didn't have a line, or you were switching from cable, you needed to pay £20 for a new line. There's a chance that you'd still have to pay if you did have a BT line.

- Direct debit was the only way to pay. You wouldn't be able to get this deal otherwise.

Still got a question? If you've satisfied the criteria above and are still having issues, please email us at voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com.
When emailing, please make sure you include your full name, home address, date of purchase, Sky account number and, the email address you signed up with. This info will help ensure you get a quick response. We'll try to answer your query as quickly as possible.

B'band plus line rent & full Sky TV £421 over 12mths

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Available to: 93% of UK

Speed: Up to 17Mb

Download limit: Unlimited

Traffic shaping? No

Contract length: 12 months

Deal requires line rental? Yes

Inclusive calls? No

New line installation: £20

You needed to grab one of 15,000 codes for this deal, and redeem it by 21 Aug 2015 when this deal ended. It was part of the MSE Big Broadband Switch Event and we featured it in the weekly email on 05 Aug and 12 Aug,. If you got it and are having issues, we can try to help. First, here's a summary of the deal:

Line rental. As part of this deal you had to take Sky's £16.40/mth line rental on a 12-month contract.

You chose one of the following broadband options:

- Unlimited 'up to' 17Mb broadband. You got a year's 'free' unlimited 'up to' 17Mb broadband. After that. it's £10/mth.- A year's 'free' limited fibre broadband, 'up to' 38Mb, 25GB/mth download limit. The price rises to £10/mth after the 12mth contract ends. There wasalso a £30 activation fee. If you exceed your monthly limit twice within a six-month period, Sky will move you on to the unlimited fibre package at a cost of £10/mth for the remainder of the 12-month contract, and £20/mth thereafter. - 12 months' half-price unlimited fibre, 'up to' 38Mb. It was £10/mth for the entire 12mth contract, £20/mth thereafter. There was also a £30 activation fee.

No calls included. other calls to UK phones are very similar to BT. If you rack up £100/mth in call charges (even if your account is in credit), you'll be cut off until it's paid off in full, which you must do by either credit or debit card.

Compulsory new router. It was free but you paid £6.95 for p&p.

New line cost £20. This applied to anyone reconnecting a line or who switching from cable.

Here's how the TV side of the deal worked:

The Family Bundle. This was 'free' for 12 months, and £36/mth thereafter. It includes 50+ entertainment channels in HD, eg, Sky Atlantic, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel and MTV, plus access to over 300 box sets. A Sky+HD box is included.

Sky Sports and Movies. This was half-price for 12 months at £17.25/mth, and £34.50/mth thereafter. You get all Sky's sports and movies channels, but not in HD  see the full list.

 Sky Sports 1-5; Sky Sports F1; Sky Sports News HQ; British Eurosport 1&2. Shows 116 of 154 Premier League games this season (though no longer the Champions League), The Ashes and all Formula 1 races, among other competitions.

 All Sky Movies channels, incl Premiere, Family and Comedy. Over 1,000 movies on demand, plus the latest Disney releases.

Compulsory £10 set-up fee. This was unavoidable and applies to all Sky TV packages.

If you're experiencing problems with this deal, please look at the points below first:

This deal was only open to new customers  so those who didn't have Sky and hadn't had it for at least 12 months. If you had Sky TV or broadband, or had had it within the past 12 months, you're counted as an 'existing customer' and won't have qualified for this deal.

You had to take all elements of the deal to get the discounts. If you cancel or opt out of any element, you'll have to pay the full amounts.

Some users told us that they've received an email from Sky quoting higher prices than those outlined when they signed up to this deal. Sky's told us this was a mistake and that you wouldn't be charged anything more than the prices shown in our deal. If you were, contact Sky and it should rfund the extra as a credit to your account.

When emailing, please make sure you include your full name, home address, date of purchase, Sky account number and, the email address you signed up with. This info will help ensure you get a quick response. We'll try to answer your query as quickly as possible.

The Sky deal below ended on Fri 21 Aug 2015  we've posted it in full as a reminder of what was on offer.

This deal was heavily discounted and was part of the MSE Big Broadband Switch Event. If you're having issues with it, please email voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com and we'll ask Sky to look into it for you.

Please include the full name of the Sky account holder, order date and connection date, the email address you signed up with, your Sky account number and details of the promotional deal you signed up to to ensure you get a quick response.

MSE Big Broadband Switch Event: Sky billing issues

We heard from a few users who signed up to the Sky deal in our recent Big Broadband Switch Event that they were charged the full price for the TV in their first bill. Sky told us this is a result of Sky TV installation taking place before broadband and phone service.

Sky is aware of this issue and has assured us that it would refund customers who have been overcharged so you won't end up paying anything more than the prices we featured when we ran the deal (if you're not sure what they were, see below). Sky's said it would contact all affected customers about this but we'll update this page if we find out more.

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

Available to: 90% of UK

Speed: Up to 17Mb

Download limit: Unlimited

Traffic shaping? No

Contract length: 12 months

Deal requires line rental? Yes

Inclusive calls? Weekends

New line installation: £20

You needed to grab one of 14,700 codes for this deal, and redeem it by 25 June 2015 or 24 Sept 2015 when this deal ended (we featured it in the weekly email on 17 June and when we ran it again, on 16 Sept). But if you got it and are having issues with the credit being applied to your account, we can try to help. First, here's a summary of the deal:

Compulsory line rental. We blagged it for half-price for 12 months at £8.20/mth  so £98.40 over the year. It rises to the normal £16.40/mth after the first year but you can leave then.

Unlimited broadband (avail to 90% of UK). Up to 17Mb speed, it was 'free' with the line rent for 12mths. After that, you can leave or pay £7.50/mth.

Compulsory new router. It was free but you paid £6.95 for p&p.

Call costs. Weekend calls (up to 60 mins per call) to landlines are included; other calls to UK phones are very similar to BT (see full call charges). If you rack up £100/mth in call charges (even if your account is in credit), you'll be cut off until it's paid off in full, which you must do by either credit or debit card.

You paid £5 upfront to 'verify your card' but you get it back. It's should be credited on your first bill.

A further £100 credit we blagged should also automatically show on your first bill. You therefore should have a £105 credit on your account, including the £5 above. Assuming you don't incur any call or other charges, the credit then covers all payments for most of the first year  so you won't owe anything till a 35p balancing payment in the final month.

New line cost £20. This applied to anyone reconnecting a line or who switching from cable.

Direct debit is the only way to pay. You wouldn't have been able to get this deal otherwise.

If you're experiencing problems with this deal, please look at the points below first:

This deal was only open to new customers  so those who didn't have Sky and hadn't had it for at least 12 months. If you had Sky TV or broadband, or had had it within the past 12 months, you're counted as an 'existing customer' and won't have qualified for this deal.

The bill credit is applied to your first bill. Please wait until you get this before getting in touch.

Still got a question? If you've satisfied the criteria above and still don't know why you haven't got your bill credit, please email us at voucherhelp@moneysavingexpert.com.

When emailing, please make sure you include your full name, home address, date of purchase, Sky account number and, the email address you signed up with. This info will help ensure you get a quick response. We'll try to answer your query as quickly as possible.

How to complain about your broadband provider

The broadband industry doesn't have the best customer service reputation and while a provider may be good for some, it can be hell for others. Common problems include installation dates not being met, limited service or slow speeds, incorrect billing and more. It's always worth trying to call your provider first, but if not then

Free tool if you're having a problem

This tool helps you draft your complaint and manage it too. It's totally free, and offered by a firm called Resolver which we like so much we work with it to help people get complaints justice.

Download limit

This is the amount of data you can download each month. This package is unlimited so it's good for heavy users  those who use a lot of broadband for downloading movies, streaming videos or online gaming.

Available to

Speed

Remember that advertised speeds are just that  "advertised". A provider only needs 10% of customers to get that speed before it can advertise it.

Just because a package says 'up to' 17Mb, don't assume that's what you'll get. Before signing up for a new broadband package, ask the provider to give you a speed estimate. This'll give you a rough idea of the speeds you're likely to get.

Speed

Remember that advertised speeds are just that  "advertised". A provider only needs 10% of customers to get that speed before it can advertise it.

Just because a package says "up to" 38Mb, don't assume that's what you'll get. Before signing up for a new broadband package, ask the provider to give you a speed estimate. This'll give you a rough idea of the speeds you're likely to get.

Speed

Remember that advertised speeds are just that  "advertised". A provider only needs 10% of customers to get that speed before it can advertise it.

Just because a package says "up to" 50Mb, don't assume that's what you'll get. Before signing up for a new broadband package, ask the provider to give you a speed estimate. This will give you a rough idea of the speeds you're likely to get.

Traffic shaping

During peak times, or when there's heavy traffic, some providers will cut the speed of your connection. They do this by 'traffic shaping', giving different types of traffic different levels of priority.

If you download via file-sharing services, you'll bear the brunt of the speed cuts. These are easy for providers to spot, and they're considered low-priority traffic. If this is you, a provider with low traffic-shaping is likely to be faster.

Traffic shaping

During peak times, or when there's heavy traffic, some providers will cut the speed of your connection. They do this by 'traffic shaping', giving different types of traffic different levels of priority.

If you download via file-sharing services, youll bear the brunt of the speed cuts. These are easy for providers to spot, and they're considered low-priority traffic. If this is you, a provider with low traffic-shaping is likely to be faster.

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You shouldnt notice any difference and the link will never negatively impact the product. Plus the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by these links. We aim to look at all available products. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link. For more details, read How This Site Is Financed.

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